Push-button



(No Model.) -.R. M. HUNTER.

PUSH BUTTON. No. 510,540. Patented Dec. 12, 1893."

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PUSH-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 510, 540, dated December 12, 1893.

Application filed April 3,1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER,-

, bell or signal apparatus and consists of certain'improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

While my invention of this application, Case No. 192, relates to the entire apparatus for signaling or ringing a bell, its novelty is specifically due to the peculiar construction of the push button.

Heretofore it has been customary to employ in a signal circuit a source of electric energy, an electric bell, and a push button or circuit closing device which maintains a closed circuit so long as the pressure is applied to the push button. This has several very great objections in practice, some of which I will point out. I

When electric bells are employed in elevator Work in large buildings the constant heavy and lengthy ringing of the bell is exceedingly annoying to the person in charge of the elevator cage,'and to the passengers riding thereon. Boys have a mania for pushing in and holding the button in closed circuit for the supposed enjoyment of hearing the bell ring or for mischief in an endeavor to annoy the person in charge of the cage. When electric bells are employed for front doors, and similar places the occupants of the house are needlessly annoyed by the long continued ringing, invariably produced by the public who will intentionally or unintentionally hold the circuit closed for undesirably long periods. Aside from these annoy ances, the excessive duty put upon the batteries reduces their life and necessitates constant watching, repairs, and recharging. In some office buildings the bells on the elevators alone will be rung fully ten thousand times each day, and it is evident that if the duty on the batteries can be reduced to one half or one third the present duty, the life of the batteries will be proportionally increased Serial No. 387.481. (No model.)

and the necessity for watching, repairs, and recharging similarly decreased. While the saving in house work is much less, yet it is even more desirable as there is seldom anyone who knows how to take care of the batteries.

My invention is designed to overcome these objections, and in carrying out my invention I combine the ordinary electric bell circuit with a push button or circuit closing switch which shall first close and then open the circuit during the continued pressure of the operator.

The specific construction of the push button or circuit controlling switch is such that it automatically interrupts or breaks the circuit immediately after closing or completing it with the same operation of the hand which is employed to close the circuit. This does not call upon the operator for any new method of manipulation of the push button, and so far as the operator is concerned he will not even know that the circuit has been broken after the bell has rung.

By the employment of my invention, the button may be held in a pressed in condition for an indefinite period without producing the annoying ringing of the bell before referred to, or wasting the energy of the battery.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a diagram showing an electric bellcirc uitand connections of a front door. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one form of my improved push button. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are similar views of modifications of same; and Fig. Sis a perspective view of the spring contact of Fig. 2.

A is the push-button or circuit controlling device.

B is the electric circuit, usually formed of insulated wires.

0 is the electric battery which is in the circuit B. I

D is the electric bell or signal which is energized upon closing the circuit-B through the push button A. While this circuit and connections are shown as applied to a front door it is evident that they may be applied to elevators or other places and objects where signaling is required. I V

In all of the Figs. 2 to 7, 0 represents the back or base of the push button,F the cap or tral part it pointing backward from the contact part of the spring and receiving the pressure of the button G. A screw J is aranged back of the contact I, so that as the part It is pressed down by the button, it shall first move the entire spring contact H into contact with the fixed contact I, and then press upon the screw so as to cause the free end of the contact H to be thrown up out of contact with the fixed contact I and thus breakthe circuit immediately after closing it, but not until after a short ringing of the bell. By a nice adj ustment of the button the circuit might remain closed, but with the ordinary handling which push buttons receive the circuit would be antomatically opened immediately upon being closed. The screw J acts as a fulcrum for the spring contact to rock upon under the action of the button. The part h of the spring contact H presses normally upon the button G and holds it out into the position shown. Itis evident that by adjusting the screw J the bell may be made to ring longer or shorter with a given movement of the push button. In place of using a straight spring contact as shown in Fig. 2 it may be made curved, such for instance as indicated in Fig. 5, when a push button of very small diameter is desired.

In Fig. 3 the button G is pressed out by a separate spring K. Two spring contacts H and I are employed, one of which contacts tends to spring toward the other but is normally kept away by the head L of the button under the action of the spring K. The button in this figure, or at least the head thereof, is of conducting material. As the button G is pushed in, the spring contact II follows the head L. The headLreaches the spring contact I while still in contact with spring contact H. The circuit is then closed. As the button is pushed in farther, the spring contact H is arrested by the screw J and the contact head L is moved away from it and breaks the circuit.

In Figs. 5 and 6 we have a construction in all material respectssimilar to that in Fig. 3 but with the contact springs H and I made curved to reduce the diameter of the frame. In place of the circular head L of the button, cross arms L are used, one of which extends over the spring contact I but not touching it, and the other extending under the spring contact H. In this case however the button may be made of insulating material and the parts H and I be made to come into contact and then separated by pressing in tho button G. r

In the construction shown in Fig. 7 we have a stationary contact T, and a spring contact H as before. When the button G is pushed in it presses down the spring contact upon the stationary contact. A continued pressure will finally press the spring contact upon a second stationary contact I and close the circuit, the terminals of which are connected to the respective contacts T and I Then the pressure on the button is continued, the spring contact H is bent over I as a fulcrum and is pressedaway from T as indicated in dotted lines in breaking the circuit. It is evident that the terminals of the circuit 13 might be connected with the parts H and T if so desired.

In Fig. t wehave a construction in all material respects the same as Fig. 3. However in this case, as in the case of Figs. 5 and 6, the button need not be of conducting material, a coil spring K is employed to press but the button, and the contacts H and I come into direct contact in completing the circuit.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction as they may be modified in various ways without departing from the principles of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A push button or electric switch for electric bell circuits consisting of a case, in combination with a contact directly connnected with one terminal of the push botton or switch, a spring contact directly connected with the other terminal, a button or movable part extending through the case and acting upon the spring contact to move it toward and into electrical connection with the other contact, and a stationary obstruction in the path of the spring contact for positively arresting the movement of one portion of the spring contact in its movement toward the other contact and acting as a fulcrum about which another portion of the spring contact is caused to move and break electric connection with the contact connected with the other terminal.

. 2. The combination of a push button or circuit closing device consisting of two contacts connected to the terminals of the circuit, a movable part or button for operating said parts to bring them into contact and then separate them by a continued movement of said movable part or button, and an obstruction in the path of one of the contacts and normally electrically independent of both terminals of the push button to arrest its motion under the action of the movable part or button and cause it to move out of electrical connection with the other contact to break the circuit.

3. In a push button, the combination of a suitable case, a contact connecting with one terminal, a spring contact connected with the other terminal and adapted to be brought into electrical connection with thefirstmem tioned contact, and an obstruction independent of the first mentioned contact arranged in the path of the spring contact, and an eX- tension projecting to the outside of the case for operating the contacts in conjunction with the obstruction to cause the contacts to first make electrical connection and then separate by a continued pressure.

4. In a push button, the combination of a case or frame, acontact adapted .to be directly connected with one terminal of an electric circuit, a spring contact adapted to be directly connected with the other terminal of the circuit, a button movably supported in the case or frame and adapted to move the spring contact into electrical connection with the first mentioned contact, and an obstruction in the form of a screw carried by the case independent of the terminals in the path of the spring contact to arrest its movement and permit the continued movement. of the button to break the electrical connection between the two contacts.

5. In a push button, the combination of a case or frame, a contact adapted to be connected with one terminal of an electric circuit, a spring contact adapted to be connected with the other terminal of the circuit, a button movably supported in the case or frame and adapted to move. the spring contact into electrical connection with the first mentioned contact, and an adjustable obstruction electrically independent of the first mentioned contact arranged in the path of the spring contact to arrest its movement and permit the continued movement of the button to break the electrical connection between the two contacts.

6. The combination in a push button, of the case or frame, the contact I adapted to be connected to one terminal of a circuit, the spring contact H having the part it adapted to be connected to the other terminal of the circuit, the button G acting upon the part h of the spring contact H, and the obstruction J arranged under the spring contact to arrest its movement under the action of the button for the purpose of breaking the electrical connection made between the parts H and I under the first movement of the button.

'7. The combination in a push button, of the case or frame, the contact I adapted to be connected to one terminal of a circuit, the

spring contact H having the part It adapted to be connected to the other terminal of the circuit, the button G acting upon the part it button.

8. In a push button'for electric bell circuits, the combination of a case, a contact connected with one terminal, a spring contact directly connected with the other terminal, a button or hand operated part adapted to act upon the spring contact to move it toward the first mention ed contact, and an obstruction secured to the case and arranged between the button or hand operated part and first mentioned contact whereby it acts as a fulcrum upon which the spring contact is moved to cause the portion thereof which comes into connection with the first mentioned contact to be moved away from it bya continued pressure upon the button or hand operated part.

9. In a push button for electric bell circuits, the combination of a case, a contact connected with one terminal, a spring contact directly connected with the other terminal, a spring actuated button orhand operated part adapted to act upon the spring contact to move it toward the first mentioned contact, and an adjustable obstruction secured to the case and arranged between the button or hand operated part and first mentioned contact whereby it acts as a fulcrum upon which the spring contact is moved to cause the portion thereof which comes into connection with the first mentioned contact to be moved away from it by a continued pressure upon the button or hand operated part and the duration of the electrical connection between the contacts regulated.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

R. M. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER, S. T. YERKES. 

